Laura Halvorsen Fregard, MSW, LICSW

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Before I was in private practice, I spent years serving as the mental health supervisor at Minnesota Adult and Teen challenge. Addiction is often rooted in trauma and mental illness, and I've seen a lot of success helping clients in their recovery from both substance use and mental health disorders. 

In addition to co-occurring disorders, I have extensive experience working with depression, grief, PTSD and trauma, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and domestic violence.

Before I became a therapist, I spent eight years working with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors as well as doing some work with human trafficking survivors in India. I have firsthand knowledge of the beauty of resilience and hope in the midst of overwhelming pain. 

When I'm not counseling, I am usually hanging out with my beautiful children, getting lost on a hiking trail, or making sour dough bread. 

I often use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, where I help clients identify and change the negative core beliefs that fuel their symptoms. This is particularly helpful for anxiety counseling, as anxiety is often driven by overwhelming negative thoughts. I also use an attachment focus, where I help clients examine how childhood wounds are driving adult relationship difficulties. I provide EMDR therapy, and have seen fantastic success using EMDR to decrease and eliminate trauma symptoms. I also provide spiritual integration from a Christian lens for clients who want to incorporate faith into their treatment. I believe in person centered care, which means I work with each client to find the therapy approach that works best. 

I understand seeking therapy can be nerve wracking, especially if you've never seen a therapist before! Therapy is hard work, but it doesn't have to be scary. First, we will make a cup of coffee and get settled in a comfy chair. Next, we'll have a conversation about what brings you to counseling. I will take time to understand your unique struggles and strengths, and then we will create a solution-focused plan. You might only need a few sessions to build up some coping skills, or you might decide you want to embark on a longer healing journey. Either way, you won't regret investing in your emotional health!